Arts - SPCO oboist no place like Camden - For SPCO oboist, there’s no place like Camden

  In 1969, fresh out of college, Tom Tempel auditioned for and was selected to play oboe for a small, relatively new musical organization called the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra (SPCO). His timing couldn’t have been better. Just a few years later the orchestra was growing in number and stature and was well on its way to becoming what is now one of the finest chamber orchestras in the world.
 In his 39 seasons with the SPCO, Tom has played under several conductors — from orchestra founder Leopold Sipe, to Dennis Davies, Pinchas Zuckerman and the current SPCO artistic partners Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Roberto Abbado, Douglas Boyd, Nicholas McGegan and Dawn Upshaw. 
 In his years with the orchestra he’s also traveled the world over, including a memorable, whirlwind tour to Budapest, Vienna, Zagreb, Maribor, Berlin and Warsaw in January of 2007. “We played in all the great halls, in cities with the richest musical traditions. It was very exciting — a great tour,” Tom said. 
 And whether he’s on tour, or rehearsing in St. Paul, or performing for a group of students, Tom thoroughly enjoys his work — which includes hours of individual practice time as well as rehearsing the concert repertoire with the orchestra.  “That’s the nitty gritty. Picking apart the music. Making sure the rhythm, pitch and phrasing are homogonous among players and sections. …One of my friends described the process as ‘hours of boredom with seconds of shear terror’.”
 But it’s all worth it when it comes to performing for audiences, no matter how big or small the hall. “When you’re playing you’re so in the moment that you sort of disassociate yourself from everything but the music in front of you. But in the end, when you get the response from the audience, it’s a real high.”
 And from the beginning of his exciting musical career, Tom, his wife Nancy and sons Mike and Chris have lived right here in Camden. Why? For some practical reasons, like easy work commutes, amenities like The Drive and now our great restaurants, bike trail systems, and ”the fact that I can walk out my door and not hear airplanes.” But more importantly, Tom said, “We really like the people here.  It’s like a small town in the big city. There’s a good feel to it. …My wife and I are both from small towns and we value the connections we’ve made and continue to make here.” 
 His advice for young musicians? “Listen to music, all kinds of it. Emulate music and musicians you like. And try to find other people who like to play and practice music together. You’ll make great music and great friends.”
 For info on the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra visit www.thespco.org.